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The three-year battle over the future of Sika came to a satisfactory end last Friday, at least for Vincent Kaufmann, director of Ethos. His foundation, backed by more than 200 Swiss pension funds, was instrumental in the fight for the independence of the Swiss adhesives maker in the face of a hostile takeover bid from France’s Saint-Gobain. In an interview with CNNMoney Switzerland, Kaufmann explained the implications of the Sika battle for the "one share, one vote" principle in Switzerland and talked about changes in his own organization’s governance structure.

Thinking of buying a second holiday home? According to a new UBS report on real estate in alpine regions, a square meter in Engadin/St. Moritz can set you back 15,000 Swiss francs. But analyst Maciej Skoczek tells Olivia Chang that Switzerland is still an attractive market for holiday homes since prices in the French and Austrian Alps continue to rise.

The CEO and co-founder of Crypto Finance, Jan Brzezek, was disappointed by the Consensus 2018 conference in New York last week. The event, one of the most important blockchain summits, didn't offer any news that pushed crypto currency value up again, according to Brzezek. But this only emphasized Switzerland's importance in cryptocurrency. Brzezek praises Swiss regulators, who, for instance, set guidelines for initial coin offerings, and he hopes that other countries will soon follow suit.

Sonova, the world's largest hearing aids producer, has a new face at the helm. German national Arnd Kaldowski comes with years of international experience under his belt with plans to expand the company's innovation capabilities. On the day of the release of their full year results, he tells CNNMoney Switzerland's Olivia Chang how he plans to leave his mark on the company and the legacy of Swiss entrepreneur Andy Rihs.

Brett Diment sees emerging markets as risky places, but ones that can pay off. The head of global emerging market debt at Aberdeen Standard Investments cites the example of differing returns on bonds that investors may get in Argentina (40%) versus Italy (2.5%). Diment is confident Argentina's situation will improve but acknowledges that investors need some risk appetite to go there. He also argues that a basket of emerging market bonds can deliver much more than what developed markets offer.

Vontobel equity analyst René Weber shares his insights on the latest news from Richemont. The Swiss luxury group disappointed investors with higher than expected watch buy backs, which weighs on profit. Jewelry, which generates higher margins, is becoming more important compared to the watch business, Weber says.

Swissquote head of Market Strategy, Peter Rosenstreich comments on the latest development in the China/U.S. trade negociation. He isn't concerned as he believes it is actually "about small little bargain". On the financial markets, Rosentreich expects more difficult times for equities, including in Switzerland as interest rates are on the rise in the U.S. treasury markets.

Despite the economic stimulus programs issued by the Trump administration, Guy Miller, chief market strategist & head of macroeconomics at Zurich Insurance, believes there's a good chance that the U.S. economy will slip into a recession in 2020. In his view, it would not be surprising given the longest recovery in history if the economy would have a pullback before moving forward.

The stock market’s bumpy ride has had consequences for Swiss pension funds. According to Heinz Rothacher, CEO of the consulting firm Complementa, coverage ratio fell by 0.5 percent this year, but he doesn't expect a major correction.

With market turmoil, rising geopolitical risks and threats of a trade war, Swiss pension funds should expect only half the financial performance they achieved in 2017, according to Marie Owens Thomsen, chief economist at Indosuez Wealth Management. Last year ended with a positive 7.5% return for pension funds, but for the first quarter of 2018, portfolios were not able to deliver a positive performance. Hedging currency risk has become extremely costly, adds Owens Thomsen, which makes it more difficult for pension managers to protect their portfolio.

As trade discussions between the U.S. and China are underway, markets are confronted with uncertainty. According to Tina Fordham, chief global political analyst at Citigroup, neither the U.S. nor the Chinese are clear on what the desired outcome will be.

The three-year battle over the future of Sika came to a satisfactory end last Friday, at least for Vincent Kaufmann, director of Ethos. His foundation, backed by more than 200 Swiss pension funds, was instrumental in the fight for the independence of the Swiss adhesives maker in the face of a hostile takeover bid from France’s Saint-Gobain. In an interview with CNNMoney Switzerland, Kaufmann explained the implications of the Sika battle for the "one share, one vote" principle in Switzerland and talked about changes in his own organization’s governance structure.

The Swiss franc has been undervalued for quite some time, according to Patrick Zweifel, chief economist at Pictet Asset Management. He expects the Swiss National Bank to revise its inflation forecast at its meeting next month. Since the economy is still robust, that will pave the way to an interest rate hike in mid-December, Zweifel says.

With many companies giving a mixed outlook for the current year, investors need to be selective. Dan Scott, deputy chief investment officer at Vontobel, still sees opportunities when it comes to emerging markets.

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